Special video recording need - IR codes

[exponent2]

I will be recording one time and repetitive events using the EPG. MP will be controlling a satellite STB. Here is what I need to do.

At the beginning of the EPG event change channels using STB IR codes

<Chan_Num><Enter><START_REC>

At the end of the event send another <STOP_REC> code.

I want it to be automatic so I dont have to manually schedule the IR codes.

I was wondering if I could start the event by modifying the Enter command to include the STB <START_REC> command. Would this work? Where does MP store the learned codes? A problem I suspect I will encounter if I do this is that the <START_REC> command may need some delay before being sent.

The other requirement will be harder. How can I get MP to send the <STOP_REC> command automatically at the end of the event.

Now the reason I bring this up is that for the STB recordings they are all high def and I have a network drive that the STB feeds the high def recording to and this can then be retrieved by the MP HTPC. The recording the STB makes are excellent but unfortunately the PVR capability in the STB is braindead, scheduling doesn't work on it. Any help here is appreciated.

[and-81]

MediaPortal itself wont do what you need, but IR Server Suite should be able to do that with either the TV2 or TV3 Blaster Plugin.

With either of those plugins in the IR Server Suite you should be able to set a "select command" (which executes after the channel numbers have been sent). The select command would just be a macro with:
Blast: Enter
Pause: 1000 (ms)
Blast: Start_Recording

To take care of the stop recording event you would need to use the MP Control Plugin (if you use tv engine 2), or the comskip launcher plugin (would work for either).

If you use the MP Control plugin you will need to use the event mapper to listen for the recording stop event, and blast the appropriate ir command upon seeing it.

If you use the ComSkip launcher plugin you can have it call the IR Blast command line tool when the recording ends.

I'll look at putting in a "recording stop" event into the TV2 and TV3 blaster plugins to handle this more elegantly in the future.

Apart from what I've described above I can't think of any other way to achieve what you want with other plugins for MediaPortal, but if someone knows of a way then please share.

Hope that helps,